


Eye of the Beholder

by solarwitchwrites



Series: Keeping Score [16]
Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Attraction, Demisexual Yami Sukehiro, House Vaude, Light Angst, M/M, Obliviousness, so mentions of Finral's shitty childhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23802988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarwitchwrites/pseuds/solarwitchwrites
Summary: Yami is about as introspective as a brick. But Vanessa discovers that he has made a little progress... at least on aesthetics. But when Vanessa sees an opportunity to meddle, she takes it.Whether Yami wises up or not, helping Finral leave another piece of House Vaude behind him is its own reward.(CH1 is set the night of the mixer. CH2 is set during the beach episode.)
Relationships: Finral Roulacase/Yami Sukehiro, Vanessa Enoteca & Finral Roulacase, Vanessa Enoteca & Yami Sukehiro
Series: Keeping Score [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1426735
Comments: 31
Kudos: 223





	1. Bias

**Author's Note:**

> In which some questions are answered about both Yami's feelings and Vanessa's.

Less than an hour after Finral, Luck, and Asta had left for the mixer, Yami tossed Magna the official Black Bulls communicator and went for the beer. Being the excellent friend and drinking buddy she was, Vanessa grabbed a few bottles of her own and joined him. Unsurprisingly, Yami wasn't in the greatest mood. Equally unsurprising, he didn't seem to know why. Despite the fact that his eyes kept getting drawn to the corner Finral portalled in and out from, Yami found other things to complain about.

Gauche's incessant talking about Marie's upcoming birthday. Henry's suspiciously good poker streak recently. Gordon leaving his creepy dolls all over the place. Asta's inability to sit still while he was recovering.

The closest Yami got to the root of the problem was when he said, “And if this results in Luck finally discovering hormones, I'm not gonna be responsible for the inevitable carnage when he starts hitting on every strong opponent he comes across.”

Vanessa snorted. Mimicking Luck's enthusiasm, she said, “You're strong! Let's fight to the death, then go on a date!”

That at least got Yami to laugh. “Shit, okay, he starts doing that it'll be worth it. Finral will have kittens.” At the mention of Finral, however, Vanessa saw Yami's mood start to sour again, gaze drifting back to the corner.

Trying to get him in a better mood, Vanessa said, “Bet you Luck gets a date before Finral does.”

Yami scoffed. “Like I'm gonna take that bet.” Quiet, more like he was talking to himself, Yami muttered, “If he strikes out every time, why bother?”

Gently, Vanessa said, “He's lonely. Isn't it normal, to want someone special?”

Yami shrugged. “Wouldn't know.” Vanessa frowned, uncertain how to answer that. But Yami continued, a trace of bitterness in his voice, “Don't get why someone hasn't snapped him up yet. He treats those women like they hung the moon.” His eyes narrowed, and Vanessa could guess the second half of the thought: _and then they treat him like shit, and it pisses me off._

Hoping to redirect him a little- and maybe give him some food for thought- Vanessa suggested, “Maybe that's the problem. You wouldn't want that kind of thing, would you?”

Yami's reply was immediate and certain. “Hell no. The ladies can keep the fake playboy routine, I'm keeping Finral.” He finished his beer and grabbed the next bottle. Vanessa couldn't decide if she was more amused or exasperated. _He doesn't pay attention to what he says at all._

She was still deciding if she was going remark on that statement when a flare of magic in the corner preceded Finral's portal. Yami looked over immediately as it bloomed. His face showed nothing and his grip on the bottle was relaxed, but there was a line of stress along his back.

Luck and Asta stepped through first, followed by Finral. Without any sign that he was giving the mixer a thought, Luck immediately sought out Magna and tried to pick a fight. Asta lingered long enough to thank Finral for inviting them out, then headed outside. Probably to get in some more training before bed.

Finral sighed. “You're welcome, Asta...” His voice was resigned, and there as a disappointed slump to his shoulders. Vanessa watched Yami's own tension bleed out as it became obvious that Finral had returned to base as single as when he'd left. Yami's attention lingered as Finral stowed his grimoire and straightened, tilting his head back to stretch his neck. 

_If he looks over in time, he might figure out that_ someone _is into him..._ “Finral, the night's still young! Come drink with us!” Vanessa called out, crossing her fingers.

Sadly, by the time Finral turned toward them, Yami was taking another drink. Vanessa resisted the urge to smack her forehead. _These idiots, honestly._ But as Finral looked between the two of them on the couch, he relaxed, and his voice was fond as he replied, “No way! You've already started, so you'd just make me babysit.”

Yami put in, “It's your turn anyway. You got too drunk to portal us home last time.”

Predictably, Finral's voice rose as he demanded, “You were the one who volunteered me for a drinking contest!” The faint blush on his face was interesting, though. _He acted like he didn't remember anything in the morning, but maybe not._ Vanessa couldn't think of a way to test her theory without tipping her hand, though. She'd long since considered and discarded the direct approach with these two. Yami was too stubborn and Finral too skittish. 

Though she and Henry did have an agreement. If Yami and Finral hit the decade mark with no progress, they were getting locked in a closet. How that would work when Yami could bust stone with his bare hands and Finral was a portal mage had yet to be determined. But Vanessa was an optimist. 

“Could've forfeited,” Yami retorted.

Finral looked so blank for a second that Vanessa giggled. _Captain, you bet on him. It wouldn't have crossed his mind to let you down._

Not that it looked like Finral was going to admit that. Instead he went pinker and muttered, “Would have served you right if I had.” Taking a breath, looking like he was chasing off unwanted thoughts, he said, “Well! I'm off duty, so you two are officially Magna's problem. Night!” And he portalled out with a cheerful wave without giving either of them a chance to reply.

Yami frowned, and Vanessa wondered if he'd caught on to the slightly odd behavior. But then he shrugged, visibly dismissing whatever he'd been thinking. Instead, Yami murmured, “Nothing else, you'd think he'd have run into someone shallow enough.”

Vanessa tilted her head. “Shallow?”

Yami nodded. “Even Oueen Prickly has suitors, and she regularly cages them in briars. People will overlook a hell of a lot for a pretty face.”

Vanessa paused. She took a sip of wine, and turned that over in her head a few times. Finral was good-looking, but she wouldn’t have compared him to Charlotte Roselei levels of gorgeous. _Hmm._ On a sudden hunch, Vanessa shrugged and leaned back, her posture as casual as she could make it.

“True! Some people have all the luck... say, Captain, who do you think is the best looking person you’ve ever met? Since you’ve traveled so much.” She was admittedly gambling a bit on exactly how drunk Yami was, but given the number of empty beer bottles, Vanessa liked her odds.

And she was rewarded.

“Finral.” Yami said it easily, no embarrassment or hesitation, like it was too obvious for either. It felt like the way a Blue Rose would say 'Charlotte' or a Coral Peacock might say 'Kirsch.' Cementing this, Yami's following, “Why?” was faintly incredulous. As if he wasn't even sure why she'd bothered asking.

“Just curious,” she said, grinning. She wanted to jump up and shout, ‘I found it! The _single romantic bone_ in Captain’s body, I found it!’ Instead, she took another sip of her wine, considering.

If Yami was just assuming that Finral was objectively a total knockout- as opposed to realizing he had a serious personal bias- then no wonder he wasn’t noticing that he was attracted to the guy. Vanessa smothered a laugh. _If he thinks everyone looks at Finral the way he does, that explains sooo much about his jealousy issues._

“So what about you?” Yami asked.

Distracted by her revelation, Vanessa blinked in confusion. “Hmm?”

“Who's the top of your best-looking list?” He took another swig of beer.

Vanessa froze.

_A hole in a tower, sunlight pouring in and framing a broad shouldered figure. Were all men that strong? “Fate? I hate that bastard. I'll do what I want, and crush fate if it gets in my way.” His voice is deep, and her heart feels like it's hammering out of her chest as she runs after him..._

Vanessa gave Yami a quick, assessing glance. He was pretty drunk. Hopefully too drunk to think to check her ki. Pasting on a bright smile, she laughed and said, “Captain Vangeance, obviously! Who doesn't like a little mystery?”

Yami snorted. “Huh. Maybe that's why he wears that thing.”

The conversation meandered after that, idle observations and old reminiscing. Yami eventually wandered off to bed, unsurprised when Vanessa didn't follow him. Less drunk than usual, Vanessa watched him go. He was just as tall as the day he'd busted open her tower, but he'd gotten even stronger in the years between. Her captain.

Vanessa sighed. Took another sip of her wine. Remembered the day, a couple years prior, when she'd first shown up at the Bulls' base. She'd been determined to repay the man who'd saved her by becoming one of his knights. 

The day she'd met Finral, and seen the way Yami looked at him.

_I already lost that battle... but it's enough if my friends are happy. That I can still fight for._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Vanessa... I have YamiVan and YamiFinVan fics, but this isn't one of them. I still love you!
> 
> Note on the order of events: I figure that Vanessa didn't go straight from living in a tower to running around as a knight. So Yami rescued her, dropped her off with a nice family for a few years, and when she'd trained herself up, she showed up at the Bulls' base and said she was joining. Nobody argued.
> 
> Feedback encouraged!


	2. Baggage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, did anyone else find it a little surprising that a guy who intentionally modified his uniform to have a higher collar was suddenly running around in board shorts for an episode, or was that just me?

The instant they arrived at the beach, the Bulls scattered. Noelle, looking shifty, took a small bag from her things and headed off towards the ladies' changing rooms. Vanessa laughed as she ditched her own dress, having already swapped her underwear for a swimsuit back at base. _I guess a princess can't just disrobe in public. I wonder if she'll get that boy to notice her?_

Magna, with every evidence of pride, stripped down to reveal that he'd gotten himself a loincloth like Yami's. Vanessa sighed. Next to her, Finral was shaking his head as he unpacked his own swimwear. The sight of it made Vanessa twitch. _Finral, at least Magna's not wearing something like that._ The striped shirt and calf-length trousers had probably been current sometime during the reign of Queen Victorine, but certainly not now. 

She eyed the neck of Finral's robe, the one he'd had her modify from the original to make the collar higher. _He dresses like a nun... No wonder Captain hasn't made the jump from aesthetics to attraction. Yami's not really the subtle type._ Remembering last night's outing with Noelle, however, made Vanessa smile as an idea struck.

“Finral, you're really going to wear that old thing?” Finral looked between the bathing suit and Vanessa in confusion.

“Why not? It's still in perfect condition, it's not like we get a lot of chances to go swimming.”

“It's so dated! Nobody wears that kind of thing anymore, you know.” Finral still looked unconvinced, so Vanessa baited the hook. ”You won't get any girls with that.”

Finral twitched. He retorted, “They do so! In Tota.” Like he couldn't quite help himself, though, he glanced at the beach, and the much less conservative array of swimwear on display. “Just... maybe not in Raque.”

Gently, Vanessa remined him, “You're not in Tota anymore.” With all that that implied. “Why not live a little?”

Finral wavered. Vanessa smiled. Linking their arms, she said, “Come on, go shopping with me! I'll help you find something you like. You can't be any pickier than Noelle.”

Finral still looked skeptical, but he let her steer him toward the shops on the boardwalk. Phase one, successful.

*

“You can't be serious, I'm not wearing that! That's worse than Magna!” Finral was staring at the swimsuit in her hands with undisguised horror. Vanessa snapped the elastic just to watch his eye twitch again.

Giggling, Vanessa dropped the swimsuit- neon yellow and more string than substance- back on the shelf. Waving her hand placatingly, she said, “Sorry, I had to! The look on your face...” Finral sighed in relief. Then he pointedly turned away from the whole section and started looking through a different rack.

Vanessa stepped up next to him, lightly bumping their shoulders together. “Don't worry, Finral, I know you better than that. Trust me, hmm?” She pouted. 

Finral gave her a flat look. “I'm starting to wonder if I should...”

She grinned. Spying a familiar hue, Vanessa snagged another swimsuit. “Nonsense! Here, look at this one.” Vanessa held up the board shorts to let Finral look at them. He relaxed as he took in the drawstring waist and considerably greater amount of fabric.

“Well, I like the color...”

Vanessa hid a smirk. Bingo. If it was green, Finral would wear it.

Glancing between Vanessa and the rack, though, Finral looked uncertain. “It doesn't come with a top, though...”

Vanessa gestured widely, encompassing the boardwalk outside as well as the shop's other customers. “Finral, we're at a beach! How many guys are wearing shirts?”

Finral glanced around, presumably seeing the same amount of skin she was. He looked sheepish.

Vanessa paused, and set down the board shorts. More quietly, she asked, “Is it really bothering you?”

Finral bit his lip and looked down. “Yes. No. Maybe? I...” He sighed, and looked back out the shop window at the beach fashion on display outside. He absentmindedly adjusted one of his long sleeves, fiddling with it like he couldn't decide if he wanted to pull it down or roll it up in the heat.

After a moment, he said, “I want to, I just... I feel like my Great Aunt Muriel is going to suddenly port in and lecture me about image and propriety.” He scowled, and added crossly, “Not that that makes any sense, since I'm not her problem anymore...”

When Finral trailed off, Vanessa put a gentle hand on his arm. She waited until he was looking at her again before saying, “The way I see it, _she_ isn't _your_ problem anymore.” Finral blinked, like he'd never quite thought about it that way. 

But he looked a little lighter as he said, “I guess you're right. We never got along anyway.”

Encouragingly, Vanessa told him. “Finral, you're a Black Bull, remember? Do what you want. Who's gonna stop you?” With a wink, she added, “Even if you want to head back to the beach and throw on the striped atrocity.”

Finral gave a startled laugh. “Hey, it's not that bad...” Vanessa raised an eyebrow, and he laughed harder. “...okay, okay, it is.” He smiled. Then he reached over and grabbed the green board shorts. “I'll get these.”

Vanessa slung an arm over his shoulder. “That's the spirit!”

Jokingly Finral asked, “I don't suppose you're going to pay for them, since you're the one who dragged me out here?”

Vanessa grinned. “Nope! You get more mission bonuses than I do anyway.”

Ducking away from her arm and heading over to the register, Finral muttered, “Because nobody wants to fly anywhere...” The shop had a small dressing room; once he'd paid for the shorts, Finral ducked in to change. With Vanessa around, the Bulls had the luxury of buying without trying; anything could be altered to fit.

When he took a while, Vanessa called through the door, “Finral! Do you want to hit the beach, or do you want to spend all day practicing flirty expressions in the mirror?”

He squawked back, “I wasn't!” and Vanessa burst out laughing. _He totally was._ Finral stepped out a moment later, and Vanessa ignored his defensive muttering to assess the look. She grinned.

_Not bad, under all the layers. Captain has to buy a clue after this._

Interrupting him, she said cheerfully, “Now that'll get you some attention! Let's go!”

Finral perked up. “Beach babes, here I come!”

Vanessa followed him out of the shop, expression fond. _Even if Yami doesn't notice, I'm glad you let go of one more piece of baggage, Finral._ Vanessa caught sight of herself reflected in the shop window, and winked at her bikini-clad reflection. It was a far cry from the long, stuffy white dresses she'd worn in the tower. She looked back towards Finral, pumped up and already trying to interest a pair of women in his pick up lines.

She smiled. _Freedom suits both of us much better._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback encouraged!
> 
> EDIT: [There's art!](https://www.instagram.com/p/B_2le52H0K0/) Go check out Nako13yeh's awesome take on Vanessa teasing Finral. ^_^


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